Redfall was released on May 2, 2023 – and what a day that was. This game which was bursting with potential was released to a lacklustre reception, securing some of the lowest ratings in history as players far and wide writhed in disappointment at Arkane Austin’s many failures with this open-world, vampire-slaying title. It quickly became regarded as one of the biggest flops in gaming history, and today, it celebrates its first anniversary on the market.
Since Redfall was released, Arkane made a few tweaks here and there to try and breathe a little life into it, but many would consider that a wasted effort. There were some quality-of-life improvements made, but ultimately, Redfall never found any traction, and as suddenly as it had arrived, it faded away into nothingness.
Is Redfall Worth Playing Now?
In December, I penned an article discussing how I was glad I gave Redfall a second chance, and I still stand by that. I revisited the game six months after it was released and was pleasantly surprised by the experience that awaited me. It was after Arkane Austin had made some important changes, and overall, the game felt smoother and more reliable than it had in May 2023.
I rinsed the game, completed everything on offer, secured every achievement, and dabbled in the cooperative offering. It wasn’t ever going to win awards, but it kept me occupied for around fifty hours, and considering I’d picked it up through Game Pass, it was a risk-free experiment in the first place.
It’s not terrible, let’s just say that.
There’s a fairly decent open world to explore, which is split into two separate regions. They’re full of things to do, but those things are typically repetitive, predictable, and lacking any real depth. Combat is entertaining enough, especially once you’ve levelled up your chosen character and bolstered their abilities. On the surface, Redfall looks good – the visuals are fairly impressive, and there’s a unique art style that’s quite pleasant to take in.
It’s not a taxing game, nor is it particularly memorable, but there’s enough meat on the bones to keep players occupied for a good few hours. Surprisingly, I had very few issues when I finally got around to playing Redfall.
If you’re going to pay cash money for the game, there are probably better things to spend your dollars on, but if you’ve got Game Pass, consider giving Redfall a try – it’ll cost you nothing but a little time.
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